Caridad

Upon arrival, the first thing one notices is the blaring Latin music emanating from the big amplifiers. The decor is by no means ritzy, but the place is fairly clean and sufficiently comfortable. (Next time I want to sit on a stool at the counter.) Service could use a bit of a jolt because it is a tad slow, but not quite glacial. The food was surprisingly good. The mixed salad was a basic green salad made from fresh veggies. The beet salad was just beets, but, if for beet fans, it was fine. The beans (red and black) both were excellent. My chicken milanesa (admittedly, an odd choice at a Dominican restaurant) was enormous and very satisfying -- not too much breading, a good tangy sauce (composed primarily of ketchup, believe it or not) and enough cheese to make the dish decadent without being outright heart-stopping. Caridad also offers a decent beer selection for those who like Latin American beers. When I return to Caridad, I will try the batidas. Give it a whirl: you may be pleasantly surprised, too.

I had to take the time to write this since the food is outstanding but the joint itself is not so nice. If you want go Dominican style Spanish cooking this is the place best on the west side. Take it to go or have it delivered cause it lacks everything else a restaurant strives to have.